The delegation composed of the representatives of ABTTF and WTMUGA indicated that in Greece, the freedom of association of the Turkish community in Western Thrace is violated.
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) and the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA) representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace attended the online seminar (webinar) entitled “The role of human rights defenders in promoting and protecting human rights” organised by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on 6 November 2020.
ABTTF International Affairs Director Melek Kırmacı Arık and WTMUGA Secretary General Meltem Giritli along with WTMUGA member Kerem Abdurahimoğlu attended the last webinar of the webinar series entitled “Three decades of upholding democracy and human rights” organised by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in cooperation with the OSCE Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) and the OSCE Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), and with the support of the 2020 Albanian OSCE Chairmanship.
During the webinar which was moderated by Pavel Chacuk, Deputy Head of Human Rights Department at OSCE ODIHR, the role of the human rights organisations, other defenders and civil society in protecting and promoting human rights was discussed in detail.
Within the framework of the rules of the webinar where it was possible for participants to lodge their recommendations to the OSCE in a written form, ABTTF indicated that freedom of association is of utmost importance to have a strong civil society. Explaining that in Greece, the associations having the word “Turkish” in their titles have been closed and that the new ones are not registered, ABTTF expressed that there is no dialogue or consultation mechanism with respect to finding solutions to issues between the government and the Turkish community in Western Thrace as a result of the non-recognition of the ethnic Turkish identity of the Turkish community.
